Why always problems charging i-Pads?

[Sakeopete]

I really hate the i-Pads, sorry to you Apple fans. My kids each have an i-Pad 3 and there is always issues with charging them. I buy original chargers and cables from the i-store and we start to have problems within weeks. I checked the chargers they are putting out a current and the cables are recognized but it always says "Not Charging" why? I never have any issues with my Galaxy Note been using the same charger and cable since day one.

To add insult to injury I win an i-Pad mini through my a work USA model. Oh well I'll give it to my step son for his graduation, hope he doesn't hate me for the frustration it will cause him.

Rant over, still don't feel better Grrrr Apple!!

[narkeddiver]

On my iPad 2 the only time I get the not changing message is when I connect my iPad to my laptop USB - even then I still get a trickle charge -the battery charge is always increased by a few percent

Maybe it is worth checking to see if there is a known issue with iPad 3s or maybe you were just unlucky and got a Friday afternoon iPad

[Sakeopete]

Its a known issue with no real solution other than buying Samsung LOL. Unfortunately my son's school requires he has one.

[Banzai99]

Had 3 iPads, iPhones and an iPad Mini in the household, never had a charging problem.

It could be that you are being sold copy cables or chargers, as Narkeddiver said above, on a laptop USB you will get the 'not charging warning', but it will still be charging, but at a very slow rate.

Try your iPhone ( If you have one ) with the same chargers, see if they work ok.

I bought a cable from a market that crapped out after a few weeks, but I thought I was saving money by getting a long cable cheap, wrong, in the end I bought Apple original cable in Tokyo.

My Mrs once had a 1st generation Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the charger on that stopped working and it cost around 1200 Baht for a new one. ( In Thailand )

Just put my iPad 3 in my USB 3 port on my laptop, still get the no charging, iPhone , no problem.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Banzai99

[Sakeopete]

It charges but very slow if you search it on the net it is a major complaint it says on the screen "Not Charging" so I'm never sure other than to feel if the charger is warm.

I don't think the charger and cables are fake I bought them at the i-store in Hua Hin which is the official reseller and service centre though anything is possible in Thailand. The chargers are the A1401 12w model.

I have to do what other people recommend on the web that is turn off the i-Pad to let it charge overnight.

I wish they charged fast like the Samsung does.

[thrilled]

I have an ipad-2,never had A problem.Are these cables aftermarket?Apple likes their equiptment to use their cables.

[RichCor]

Have owned several iPads over the years. Never had any of them refuse to charge unless the battery was at the end of it's lifespan.

As iPads have 10-hour batteries Apple requires you use a 2.1 amp charger.

Normal USB ports are 0.5 amp, Samsung Phone chargers are usually 0.8 amp.

The iPad charger must be rated for 110/220v input; 5.1 volts, 2.1 amps, 12 watts output if you want to charge either with the power on, or completely charge the device.

While we would all love fast charging of all our devices, there is a heat issue with fast charging.

Suggest you get your chargers tested. If the output is low you may want to contact the iStore and ask them why. There have been many issues with counterfeit products being sold as OEM.

Oh, and from Apple website: Everything you wanted to know about charging your iPhone or iPad

[Sakeopete]

I have an ipad-2,never had A problem.Are these cables aftermarket?Apple likes their equiptment to use their cables.

The problem I have and many others mention online is with the i-Pad 3 not 2.

[xen]

I just got an i pod Nano this morning. The thing will not charge either - have used both the supplied cable and the iphone cable but neither of them work. Seem if you move the cable where it enters the body of the i pod it goes off and on.

I have had a few i pods and they sound better than the competition in that range of mp3 players and i have i phones given to me at work but none of them work like they should.I really don't know why apple has the reputation for reliability they have.

[attrayant]

Sounds like a genuine hardware problem. Are you still under warranty? I'd march back to the store that sold you the power supply (bring the ipad with you) and ask them why their product doesn't work as advertised.

[robblok]

I have 2 ipads no problem with charging unless you don't use their chargers. That is a bit stupid though but they love to make you pay extra for their stuff.

[bubba]

I have 2 ipads no problem with charging unless you don't use their chargers. That is a bit stupid though but they love to make you pay extra for their stuff.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

[robblok]

I have 2 ipads no problem with charging unless you don't use their chargers. That is a bit stupid though but they love to make you pay extra for their stuff.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

It is an other moneymaker from Apple and restricts competition. Apple would be a good Thai company in how they restrict their clients buying only from them.

I would be really surprised if it was done to safe people instead of making a profit. That is just my view on it. I prefer competition then you got choices and lower prices.

[bubba]

I have 2 ipads no problem with charging unless you don't use their chargers. That is a bit stupid though but they love to make you pay extra for their stuff.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

It is an other moneymaker from Apple and restricts competition. Apple would be a good Thai company in how they restrict their clients buying only from them.

I would be really surprised if it was done to safe people instead of making a profit. That is just my view on it. I prefer competition then you got choices and lower prices.

But there is competition for legitimate chargers that are certified to work with iPads. Dozens of them and hundreds of choices, with many of then cheaper than an Apple charger - even half the price of an Apple charger. Yes, Apple requires certification of authorised vendors, but is that such a bad idea in the interest of safety or potentially damaging your iPad? If that doesn't really matter to you, sure, go ahead and save 100 baht and buy a fake Chinese copy. They usually work, but perhaps not properly charge your device. Or electrocute you.

http://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-related-death-in-china-could-be-linked-to-fake-charger/

Apple even had a programme where they would accept fake chargers and replace it with an Apple one for US$10.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10225969/Apple-to-replace-counterfeit-chargers-following-electrocution.html

[robblok]

It is an other moneymaker from Apple and restricts competition. Apple would be a good Thai company in how they restrict their clients buying only from them.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

I would be really surprised if it was done to safe people instead of making a profit. That is just my view on it. I prefer competition then you got choices and lower prices.

But there is competition for legitimate chargers that are certified to work with iPads. Dozens of them and hundreds of choices, with many of then cheaper than an Apple charger - even half the price of an Apple charger. Yes, Apple requires certification of authorised vendors, but is that such a bad idea in the interest of safety or potentially damaging your iPad? If that doesn't really matter to you, sure, go ahead and save 100 baht and buy a fake Chinese copy. They usually work, but perhaps not properly charge your device. Or electrocute you.

http://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-related-death-in-china-could-be-linked-to-fake-charger/

Apple even had a programme where they would accept fake chargers and replace it with an Apple one for US$10.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10225969/Apple-to-replace-counterfeit-chargers-following-electrocution.html

Its a form of blackmail you have to buy it from them. IF those adapters were certified for free id go for it. But I bet they pay a fee way over cost.

In normal cases I would agree with you 100% because I love quality and often am willing to pay more for it. Its just that Apple does not have a real good open track record.

[attrayant]

I have 2 ipads no problem with charging unless you don't use their chargers. That is a bit stupid though but they love to make you pay extra for their stuff.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

I know we like to throw stones at Apple for their overpriced and proprietary accessories, but having studied the internals and the patent filings for many of their chargers and cables, I have to say that there really is a very high level of quality and a great deal of high tech engineering that goes into these little power blocks. These are most certainly NOT just a standard dirty transformer, rectifier, capacitor and regulator type of power supply that most tech students learn how to build in their first year of college.

Here's a good video showing a teardown of a cheap knockoff apple charger - the ones that litter the streets of Thailand. After watching this, it's easy to see how they get away with selling them for only 100 baht. It's the most basic, cheapest and dirtiest power supply imaginable. I'd love to put my scope on one and see just how dirty the power is. The reviewer points out some serious safety concerns on the circuit board (creepage and clearance for those of you in the know), which can potentially lead to user electrocutions. It uses cheap ceramic caps across the transformer instead of Y-class rated safety caps. If that component shorts, a consumer stands a good chance of being electrocuted.

Then go check out the same teardown of a genuine apple charger. After seeing that, I absolutely do not mind paying 600 baht for a genuine charger. You don't have to know much about power supply engineering to see how much effort went into the design of this thing. It will also become obvious how cheap the knockoff charger was compared to the real thing.

Also worth noting is that Apple has started chipping their lightning cables (the new smaller reversible design that came out with the IP5). I expect future firmware or OS updates will enable devices to verify a cable's authenticity, and reject if it fails.

Here's a close-up of a knockoff cable that is popular at MBK and Pantip now. I'm sure you've seen them, with the colorful flashing lights at both ends. Ooh, shiny!

The genuine apple cable is on the bottom. It's not hard to see why these knockoffs are so inexpensive.

What is worse, because of all the flashing lights inside the cable, it draws power away from the iPad and the device reports "not charging" even when it's plugged in to a genuine 12 watt apple charger. If that wasn't bad enough, when I unplug the cable from the power block but leave it plugged into the iPad, it continues to glow slightly. It's putting a parasitic drain on the iPad - something that no quality connector should ever do.

[bubba]

It is an other moneymaker from Apple and restricts competition. Apple would be a good Thai company in how they restrict their clients buying only from them.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

I would be really surprised if it was done to safe people instead of making a profit. That is just my view on it. I prefer competition then you got choices and lower prices.

But there is competition for legitimate chargers that are certified to work with iPads. Dozens of them and hundreds of choices, with many of then cheaper than an Apple charger - even half the price of an Apple charger. Yes, Apple requires certification of authorised vendors, but is that such a bad idea in the interest of safety or potentially damaging your iPad? If that doesn't really matter to you, sure, go ahead and save 100 baht and buy a fake Chinese copy. They usually work, but perhaps not properly charge your device. Or electrocute you.

http://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-related-death-in-china-could-be-linked-to-fake-charger/

Apple even had a programme where they would accept fake chargers and replace it with an Apple one for US$10.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10225969/Apple-to-replace-counterfeit-chargers-following-electrocution.html

Its a form of blackmail you have to buy it from them. IF those adapters were certified for free id go for it. But I bet they pay a fee way over cost.

In normal cases I would agree with you 100% because I love quality and often am willing to pay more for it. Its just that Apple does not have a real good open track record.

I once bought a fake Chinese iPhone charger. It cost 100 baht, did not charge properly, the cable failed after about one week of use, so I binned it. Meanwhile, there are Apple certified iPhone chargers out there that cost about 250 baht. Blackmail? I see that as quality and value for money. I spent ≈ 25,000 baht on an iPhone, and certainly don't mind spending an additional 150 baht for a charger and cable that works and lasts longer than one week.

To be honest, I had not heard that Apple does not "have a real good open track record" regarding chargers. Regarding?

[robblok]

It is an other moneymaker from Apple and restricts competition. Apple would be a good Thai company in how they restrict their clients buying only from them.

You don't have to exclusively buy and use Apple branded chargers and cables. You can also buy from certified, authorised third parties, such as Belkin, Griffin, Kensington or any number of others. Apple even sell them at their online Apple Store.

I don't have a problem with Apple in their efforts to allow only certified chargers and cables that meet quality standards for use with iPads and iPhones. Cheap, fake Chinese products have caused fires and there have even been cases of electrocution.

I would be really surprised if it was done to safe people instead of making a profit. That is just my view on it. I prefer competition then you got choices and lower prices.

But there is competition for legitimate chargers that are certified to work with iPads. Dozens of them and hundreds of choices, with many of then cheaper than an Apple charger - even half the price of an Apple charger. Yes, Apple requires certification of authorised vendors, but is that such a bad idea in the interest of safety or potentially damaging your iPad? If that doesn't really matter to you, sure, go ahead and save 100 baht and buy a fake Chinese copy. They usually work, but perhaps not properly charge your device. Or electrocute you.

http://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-related-death-in-china-could-be-linked-to-fake-charger/

Apple even had a programme where they would accept fake chargers and replace it with an Apple one for US$10.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10225969/Apple-to-replace-counterfeit-chargers-following-electrocution.html

Its a form of blackmail you have to buy it from them. IF those adapters were certified for free id go for it. But I bet they pay a fee way over cost.

In normal cases I would agree with you 100% because I love quality and often am willing to pay more for it. Its just that Apple does not have a real good open track record.

I once bought a fake Chinese iPhone charger. It cost 100 baht, did not charge properly, the cable failed after about one week of use, so I binned it. Meanwhile, there are Apple certified iPhone chargers out there that cost about 250 baht. Blackmail? I see that as quality and value for money. I spent ≈ 25,000 baht on an iPhone, and certainly don't mind spending an additional 150 baht for a charger and cable that works and lasts longer than one week.

To be honest, I had not heard that Apple does not "have a real good open track record" regarding chargers. Regarding?

I am talking that apple in general pushes apple and only for profit. It has nothing to do with quality. 250 bt for a charger is quite reasonable. Only the 690 they charge in their shop is a bit crazy.

[bubba]

If 690 baht for an Apple branded charger is too dear for your budget, no problem - then there are dozens of Apple certified chargers out there that can be had for less than half that price, as low as 250 baht. You do not have to use an Apple branded charger to properly charge an iPad without damaging it (or yourself).

And as for a company that "pushes" their own company for profit, I guess I am trying to think of another for-profit company that does not do the same. For example, doesn't Samsung push Samsung products for profit?

[robblok]

If 690 baht for an Apple branded charger is too dear for your budget, no problem - then there are dozens of Apple certified chargers out there that can be had for less than half that price, as low as 250 baht. You do not have to use an Apple branded charger to properly charge an iPad without damaging it (or yourself).

And as for a company that "pushes" their own company for profit, I guess I am trying to think of another for-profit company that does not do the same. For example, doesn't Samsung push Samsung products for profit?

Samsung does not aggressively protect its stuff like Apple. You can use chargers from everywhere, you can add sdcards from any brand ect ect.

Its not about budget its about freedom and of course 250 is a nice price compared to that 690 is an obscene price of course. Almost 3 times as much. I could afford it easily, but it would be the same like paying 3 times (almost) as much for something without getting better quality. Only fools burn their money like that, paying for quality is one thing paying for nothing not really.

But i stay well away from the real cheap cables as I have seen them go bad. But after you pay for a good one its crazy to pay 3 times as much for no extra benefit.

[bubba]

Interesting although technical article on real vs. fake Apple chargers:

http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.html

[roly]

Interesting although technical article on real vs. fake Apple chargers:

http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.html

Another good link: http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/13/apple-counterfeit-ipad-charger-difference/